Everyone has moments in their life when they feel particularly down and sad, which people may confuse with depression. Depression, though, is a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and worthless. These effects lead the person to believe that they are unimportant and that they are incapable of living a normal life. The difference between feeling sad and being in a state of depression sparks major differences physically and mentally. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, the character of Heathcliff suffered with depression, which created a domino effect that inflicted pain not only to himself, but also to all the other characters he interacted with, and his depression became the essential cause of his death.
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Although depression can only occur once in a person’s life, Heathcliff, like any other patient, experiences many episodes of depression (Mayo Clinic Staff). Continually, Heathcliff falls into spells of sadness, anger, and irritability which he can’t break from because it is part of his daily life. When Heathcliff allowed Catherine into his life, she was unable to break him from these thoughts, but was never capable to change him and he sulked back into the dismal life he was living. When Catherine decides to marry Edgar Linton, Nelly tries to persuade Catherine with the possible negative outcome of her marrying, telling her that “As soon as you become Mrs. Linton, [Heathcliff] loses friend, and love, and all! Have you considered how you’ll bear the separation, and how he’ll bear to be quite deserted in the world?” …show more content…
Effects of depression can be disabling and can impact their families and greater society (Depression: The Treatment and Management of Depression in Adults). Heathcliff portrays himself as a knight in shining armour, which a naive Isabella fell for and ran away with to marry. Because Isabella jumped into a lifestyle that she thought would have been perfect, but ended up suffering in, she endured a neurotic depression. Neurotic depression arises from an extension or over elaboration of sadness or grief (W. Crary and G. Crary). Heathcliff had trapped Isabella, physically and psychologically, his angry outbursts and irritability had caused so much pain to her that she had developed depression because of the isolation she had with Heathcliff. When Isabella returns to Wuthering Heights with Heathcliff for the first time, Heathcliff isolates himself immediately, exemplifying symptoms of depression (Aufiero). This initial action sparked depressive tendencies for Isabella making her feel unwanted, neglected, and mistreated. After Catherine’s death, Isabella had the opportunity to flee the tyrannical Heathcliff during one of his outbursts to somewhere south of London. Isabella became ill thirteen years later after raising Heathcliff’s son Linton. She died of an illness and told Edgar to raise Linton away from his father in attempt to avoid her son from Heathcliff’s
Although depression can only occur once in a person’s life, Heathcliff, like any other patient, experiences many episodes of depression (Mayo Clinic Staff). Continually, Heathcliff falls into spells of sadness, anger, and irritability which he can’t break from because it is part of his daily life. When Heathcliff allowed Catherine into his life, she was unable to break him from these thoughts, but was never capable to change him and he sulked back into the dismal life he was living. When Catherine decides to marry Edgar Linton, Nelly tries to persuade Catherine with the possible negative outcome of her marrying, telling her that “As soon as you become Mrs. Linton, [Heathcliff] loses friend, and love, and all! Have you considered how you’ll bear the separation, and how he’ll bear to be quite deserted in the world?” …show more content…
Effects of depression can be disabling and can impact their families and greater society (Depression: The Treatment and Management of Depression in Adults). Heathcliff portrays himself as a knight in shining armour, which a naive Isabella fell for and ran away with to marry. Because Isabella jumped into a lifestyle that she thought would have been perfect, but ended up suffering in, she endured a neurotic depression. Neurotic depression arises from an extension or over elaboration of sadness or grief (W. Crary and G. Crary). Heathcliff had trapped Isabella, physically and psychologically, his angry outbursts and irritability had caused so much pain to her that she had developed depression because of the isolation she had with Heathcliff. When Isabella returns to Wuthering Heights with Heathcliff for the first time, Heathcliff isolates himself immediately, exemplifying symptoms of depression (Aufiero). This initial action sparked depressive tendencies for Isabella making her feel unwanted, neglected, and mistreated. After Catherine’s death, Isabella had the opportunity to flee the tyrannical Heathcliff during one of his outbursts to somewhere south of London. Isabella became ill thirteen years later after raising Heathcliff’s son Linton. She died of an illness and told Edgar to raise Linton away from his father in attempt to avoid her son from Heathcliff’s